Video Fitness Forum  

Go Back   Video Fitness Forum > Video Fitness Reader Forum > General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 10-15-04, 02:20 PM  
suzannaerin
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Arlington, VA
Is the Mrkt for Advanced w/o's really shrinking?

I just read Deanna's response from Kari Anderson and Kari said that she will be filming workouts for beginners because the market for advanced workouts is getting smaller. I was rather surprised because it seems there are a lot of VFers at the "advanced" level who would love to invest in some excellent challenging workouts. For example, look how many of us are Spinerval users and are avidly awaiting the new releases!!

Cathe making non-advanced workouts should have been my first clue. I have to admit that I got so tired of doing Slow and Heavy that I now do strength work without a video "coach." I know that I could get Power 90 but for some reason (the pull ups & push ups?), that doesn't appeal to me. I don't care for the high rep/low weight stuff that has flooded the market, either.

What do the rest of you think?

Don't get me wrong, as I'm happy there are a lot of choices for beginners. However, I feel like those of us at the advanced level are having fewer and fewer new workouts coming our way.
suzannaerin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:30 PM  
Pratima
Exchange Moderator
 
Pratima's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Hmm, I tend to think of this phenomenon differently. There are still many advanced exercisers out there, but the market for fitness videos is growing. So, there are now many people out there looking for exercise videos with which they can start exercising.

Good thing, I suppose, that the market is growing, and more workouts are getting made. Also, having more "beginner" level workouts will hopefully give us more workouts that instruct on proper form and technique. Conversely, it may limit newer workouts as far as levels of complexity, difficulty, etc.

Probably a more philosophical answer than you were looking for, just what came to my mind!
Pratima is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:33 PM  
Messe
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pratima
Hmm, I tend to think of this phenomenon differently. There are still many advanced exercisers out there, but the market for fitness videos is growing. So, there are now many people out there looking for exercise videos with which they can start exercising.

Good thing, I suppose, that the market is growing, and more workouts are getting made. Also, having more "beginner" level workouts will hopefully give us more workouts that instruct on proper form and technique. Conversely, it may limit newer workouts as far as levels of complexity, difficulty, etc.

Probably a more philosophical answer than you were looking for, just what came to my mind!
Philosophical, perhaps, but you put my thoughts into words so well.
__________________
Martha

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. — Maya Angelou
Messe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:34 PM  
Barb
VF Supporter
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Connecticut
Hmmm...I don't know. Maybe it's not that the advanced market is really shrinking, it's that the beginner market is growing. And in order to turn a buck, an instructor needs to sell a lot of videos...and beginners are buying more of the mass produced ones.

However, it seems to me that Beachbody is producing more and more advanced programs. P90, then they did P90x. Slim in 6, then Slim Series. Yoga Booty Ballet and then the advanced set....so they're seeing a need for more advanced workouts.
Barb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:37 PM  
Deanna
VF Supporter
 
Deanna's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Upstate, NY
When we've spoken directly to the various instructors at fitness conferences....a lot of them seem to feel that the majority of their market does NOT fit the profile of your average VFer. They target their videos to the beginner market or to instructors that want some new choreo for their own classes (presumably, beginner level choreo). And if witnessing how well (not) a lot these instructors pick up choreo while we've attended live conference classes is any indication of how well they "take" to complex choreo, then I'm sure they really are better off marketing their videos to the beginner crowd (ok, I know, not a nice thing to say, but it's an accurate statement nonetheless ).

Sigh, but there's part of me that's always felt this philosophy somehow does NOT ring true. I guess that would be the part of me that thinks all the Christi's, Cathe's, and Kari's of the world should not dumb-down their workouts, but should instead make them even more complex to satisfy the VF craving for ever more interesting choreo . Sigh, but that approach won't necessarily put dinner on their table....
__________________
Deanna
vidiot for life
Deanna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:41 PM  
Megan
VF Supporter
 
Megan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Ontario
I was just thinking the other day that maybe the market for fitness videos isn't as big as we would think. There are almost 7,000 members here at VF. Even if 50% of us were interested in a new advanced video you'd only have (theoretically) 3,000 sales. And that's a high estimate. Things like spinnervals and such are much less popular.

Is the market really growing? Or do we just like to think it is? This reminds me of when I used to hang out at the gymnastics boards. Everyone thought that at some imaginary point in the future the sport would begome hugely popular and we'd get all kinds of great TV coverage. Never happens. Just wishful thinking among fans.

So, anyway, the reason why I was thinking about this is because I just got my free Body-B-Fit DVD. She made all these DVD's herself on a very low budget, right? Could this be a new trend? I was reading something about this phenomenon in the music industry - musicians make their own CD's on their home computers, package them up, and sell. New instructors could come onto the market with minimal expense. Advanced workouts could be created for a smaller market without losing money. Anyway, just something to think about.
__________________
Megan
Megan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:46 PM  
Barb
VF Supporter
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Connecticut
That is so interesting, Megan. I think that you're probably right. I wouldn't mind slightly lower production values in favor of a tougher workout. However, I would draw the line somewhere....not sure where! LOL! Perhaps as video technology improves, some 12 year old will be able to shoot it on a digital camera and email it to us!
Barb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:53 PM  
Deanna
VF Supporter
 
Deanna's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Upstate, NY
LOL, Barb, or we could produce our own line of VFer workouts and trade them back and forth. We can have contests to see who can "kill us better" .
__________________
Deanna
vidiot for life
Deanna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 02:54 PM  
KayM
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Wichita, KS
Quote:
Originally Posted by Megan
So, anyway, the reason why I was thinking about this is because I just got my free Body-B-Fit DVD. She made all these DVD's herself on a very low budget, right? Could this be a new trend? I was reading something about this phenomenon in the music industry - musicians make their own CD's on their home computers, package them up, and sell. New instructors could come onto the market with minimal expense. Advanced workouts could be created for a smaller market without losing money. Anyway, just something to think about.
If there were true, we may end up with a lot of videos that don't give good form pointers and are unprofessional, but we'd probably end up with some very creative workout choices.
KayM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-04, 03:53 PM  
Helen S
VF Supporter
 
Helen S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Utah
I'm also wondering if we just have more choices now than before. When Kari first made Sweat Express, I didn't know about CIAs and other advanced complex workouts. Now, Christy just mailed her DVDs. Rob has new ones too. And Seasun and Patrick are having pre-sales. With production costs, I don't really see them making a lot of money back.

So maybe Wendilee's plan is the wave of the future.

Helen
Helen S is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:59 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2009 Video Fitness